385. God Assembles and Gathers
Micah 4:6, 7 In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.
“In that day” refers to the Messianic Age, the New Testament times in which we are presently living. The “her” is the Church (often pictured as a woman, the Bride of Christ). She (the Church, “her”) halts, is lame and crippled; she is driven out (from Paradise, from the Presence of God); she has been afflicted by the Lord. The Church is us; we are in such a predicament; we are crippled with sin, exiled from our heavenly home, and afflicted with all the problems of a sin-cursed world.
The Lord promises to assemble us together, we who were halt, lame, and crippled. The Lord fixes the broken, repairs the worn out, mends the torn up, and puts together all the pieces of a shattered life into one beautiful, whole person. The Lord promises to gather all of us who were driven out and cast off because of our sin, even as the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth and keeps her in the one true faith. The Lord promises to make us a strong nation, able to defend ourselves against and defeat the Enemies that seek to destroy and kill us in every way. The Lord promises to reign over us in this redeemed Church forever. Not only will we live forever in the Kingdom of God, but we will also be wisely and generously taken care of and ruled over by the almighty and good kingship of the Lord God.
God has assembled us, gathered us, made us strong, and gently, but violently, gained the rule over us by way of the Cross and the Empty Tomb. Jesus did this for us in a good, kind, gentle, tender, and loving way. But what He did to Sin, Death and Satan was a violent overthrow with eternal consequences. The Lord, through people, proclaimed the Gospel to us, which is the power of God unto salvation. The Lord caused us to believe the Gospel and receive Christ by the working of the Spirit through the Word. And the Lord continues to do all of this for us unto the end of our life, the end of the age, and into all eternity. What a glorious God!